The Long Forgotten Prank
by SlytherinHouseMouse
Summary: Hogmanay 1995, and Grimmauld Place plays host to some unexpected young guests.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, and am not making any money from this, but do you _really_ need me to tell you that?**

 **Author's Note: This is a repost of an older story I took down ages ago to polish up. My hard drive then crashed and I lost the story, however thanks to the wonders of internet archiving I eventually found it again.**

It was Hogmanay and Sirius Black was celebrating with assorted members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army in the basement kitchen of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. He had hated his life these past few months, shut up inside his childhood home; but today, surrounded by a boisterous crowd of friends, his mood had lifted: things seemed a lot brighter than they had during the school term. Butterbeer and elf-made wine were flowing freely, Fred and George were plotting to replace the Christmas tree fairy with Kreacher, Ginny had cut out a photograph of Dolores Umbridge from the Daily Prophet and was using it as a dartboard (Tonks and Remus had happily charmed the darts for her so that they never missed their target – Remus had volunteered for this task with hitherto unseen relish), and even Minerva McGonagall was allowing herself to get a little merry; outside events had been temporarily forgotten. The group were so engrossed in the festivities that they didn't notice a thump coming from the stairs that lead to the main part of the house; it was only when they heard voices behind the door that the room went silent. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere of the gathering changed: wands were out, and everyone was on high alert.

'Where are we?' A child's voice.

'In Auntie's house of course. Where else could we be?'

'But we can't be in Auntie's house; look at it, it's _filthy_. Kreacher would never allow it to get in this state. He has pride, you know. Look at those cobwebs!'

A wail was heard. 'I don't like spiders.'

'Shhh, Cissy, there aren't any spiders. Those are _old_ cobwebs. The spiders are somewhere else now, or dead.'

'In you hay-ur. Big, big spider.'

A piercing shriek was heard.

' _Sirius_! Don't be nasty. Cissy, there are _not_ any spiders in your hair!'

Another cry was heard, this time a baby's. 'Shhh, Reggie, it's all right, don't cry, Anna's here.' A soft, childish voice started singing a quiet lullaby, and the baby's cries became squawks, which became gurgles, which drifted into silence.

' _No_ , Sirius, stay here, don't you _dare_ run off.'

'Bella, I'm scared. I want Mummy!'

At that, Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped towards the door. Still brandishing his wand, he turned the handle and flung the door open to discover three little girls staring up at him. The eldest had a firm grip on the shoulders of a toddler in a stiff looking sailor suit, who was looking up at his wardress and giggling mischievously; the middle girl was tightly clutching a bundle of blankets to her chest and biting her lower lip with nervousness. The smallest girl, a little blonde thing of about five or six, was peeking out from behind the eldest's skirt. Kingsley drew in his breath sharply, just as the eldest girl stepped forward and said, with surprising authority for a child who could not have been any older than eleven, 'Who are you, and what are you doing in my Uncle's house?'


	2. Chapter 2

Kingsley grabbed the girl by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen; the toddler tripped as the girl was pulled past him, and he fell face first to the floor and started crying. The commotion woke the baby, who started squawking in protest from its blanket coccoon. The girl screamed, terrified, as Kingsley pushed her against the wall and held his wand directly to her face.

'How did you get here? Who sent you? What kind of twisted trick of Voldemort's is this?'

He spoke the words with force but the sound was drowned out; over the screams of the eldest girl and the sound of the toddler's and baby's cries, the two smaller girls had started shouting as well, and in the cacophony of screams it was hard to distinguish one voice from the other.

'Don't touch me!'

'Let go of her!'

'You're hurting me!'

'Stop it! Stop it!'

'Bella!'

'Who are you? You're not _allowed_ in here!'

'I'm going to find Daddy! I'm telling my daddy on you!'

With that pronouncement the blonde ran out of the door and back up the stairs, but she quickly came running back, sounding distressed and her eyes wide with fear.

'That's not Auntie's house, it's not, it's not. It's all dark and dirty and dusty and there's no one there!' A fat tear rolled door her cheek. 'I want my mummy!'

The rest of the room were looking on, unsure how to react; they still had their wands out, but could hardly use them on children. Kingsley by this point had relaxed his wand a fraction; he was looking at the eldest girl, who was trying to look tough: staring him out with her eyes hard and lips pursed, but her quivering body was betraying her. She had not drawn a wand. The middle girl, still clutching the baby, took advantage of Kingsley's momentary hesitancy and aimed a swift kick at his ankle. She looked at him furiously.

'What sort of man are you? Do you think you're impressive, threatening a child who's not even old enough to have a wand? Do you normally only fight people who can't fight back?'

Kingsley winced; the child had a strong kick. Ignoring the little warrior, he refocused on the eldest girl.

'I'll repeat my questions: How did you get here? Who sent you? What is Voldemort seeking to achieve by this, Lestrange?

'What are you talking about? Who's Voldemort? And why are you calling me Lestrange? My _name_ is Bellatrix Druella Black.'

Bellatrix was doing an impressive job of pretending not to be afraid, her speech was authoritative, but her voice still shook a little. She swiftly brushed away a tear that was forming in her eye and turned her head to hide her face before anyone noticed. 'I'd appreciate it if you addressed me correctly.'

Kingsley did not vary his stance; it was Tonks who intervened. She walked over to Bellatrix and after a few quick security spells, established what she needed to.

'Kingsley, leave her be, she isn't armed. You know who these children are, don't you?'

'I think we all do.'

'Quite. But if they're not armed and they're children and they're not sent by the Death-Eaters, then there's only one logical explanation.'

'But that's impossible.'

Tonks shrugged. 'Muggles think magic's impossible, and yet look at us.'

She turned to the still quivering girl, who by this point was sobbing freely. She stroked the child's hair and spoke to her gently. 'We weren't expecting visitors. Won't you tell us how you got here?'

The child was breathing deeply, trying to calm herself, but she responded with confusion. 'I don't understand what you mean. They're not visitors,' she indicated to the boys, ' _they_ live here'. Mama and Papa came for the party. We've been here _hours._ Auntie sent us down here so Kreacher could give us our dinner before the rest of the party guests arrived.'

'We're not allowed to go to the party,' the blonde pouted. 'We have to go to bed.'

'Why are you explaining yourself to them Bella?' asked the middle girl. It's _them_ who should be explaining what _they're_ doing here. Guests aren't allowed in the kitchen, and I can't imagine Uncle Orion inviting such rude and violent guests even if they were,' she said, pointedly directing her comment at Kingsley.

Tonks was looking at the child in disbelief.

'Your name's Andromeda, isn't it?'

'Yes,' the child looked confused. 'But how did you know? I've never met you before.'

Before Tonks could answer, there came a crash from the other end of the kitchen. The mutual interrogation had provided the toddler with a perfect distraction, allowing him to wander over to the dresser unnoticed and attempt to climb to the top. His attempt had nearly succeeded, until he had apparently tried to pull a copper saucepan from its hook and unceremoniously slipped, managing to dislodge the entire contents of the dresser and send them crashing to the floor. The fall this time did not seem to have bothered him in the slightest; he was grinning broadly at the chaos he had caused, and delightedly banging a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

 _'Sirius!'_

Bellatrix looked as if she wanted to go over and deal with the toddler, but she was still eyeing Kingsley warily, and looked unsure as to whether she should make a move. Andromeda went to run towards the toddler, but she was hindered by the heavy baby she was holding. It was fairly obvious her arms were getting tired from carrying him. Molly Weasley stood up and moved to take the baby from her, but Andromeda drew away from the woman and tightened her grip possessively.

'I don't know you. You could be anyone. I'm not letting anyone here hurt him!'

Tonks then walked over and knelt down in front of her.

'How about I take him? That's an awfully heavy load for such a little girl; your arms must be getting sore.'

'Well, yes, they are quite.'

She looked up at her future daughter and a look of trust flashed across her eyes. She nodded in assent and carefully passed the baby to Tonks, who eased the baby onto her own shoulder. Andromeda then rushed over to the dresser.

 _'Sirius Orion Black!_ Can you not behave yourself for five minutes? You put that back before you break something or, or...I'll imperius you and you won't have any choice but to behave!'

Sirius stuck out his tongue.

'You no got wand.'

Andromeda leaned in towards him threateningly.

'How do you know I didn't steal Mummy's wand from her cloak?'

'Didn't.' But he looked rather wary and put the mixing bowl back in the cupboard.

Andromeda turned round to find Minerva McGonagall staring down at her.

'There will be no use of unforgiveables in this house, my girl.'

Andromeda looked chastened, but she beckoned Minerva down towards her level and whispered in her ear, 'I didn't really steal Mummy's wand, and I wouldn't know how to use an unforgiveable anyway, but please don't tell him that, he doesn't listen to a word I say otherwise, and he's _always_ misbehaving.'

Minerva laughed in spite of herself; Andromeda's comments did not surprise her at all. After all, she had taught Sirius for seven years, she knew what he had been like. And it was then, looking down at the toddler, that she noticed a glint of gold peeking from his pocket. She reached down and pulled the object out and gasped. The little brat had got hold of a time turner, and had apparently managed to use it without his elder cousins noticing. She had only seen time turners like the one Hermione had used in her third year before, which allowed a person to go back in time, and required the time travellers to have the chain round their necks; but it was not beyond the realms of possibility that different varieties existed. Who knew what the Department of Mysteries got up to? Perhaps if they had all been holding on to each other when Sirius used it, that would have been enough for it to affect them all.

'Sirius, where did you get this?'

Sirius giggled.

'Tell me.'

'The Mi'ster's pocket.'

'What mister?'

'The Mi'ster Magic.'

Ah.


	3. Chapter 3

Minerva held the time turner up for rest of the room's occupants to see.

'Andromeda,' said Minerva, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders and looking directly in her eyes, 'would you please tell me what year it is?'

Andromeda squinted at her in confusion, and from the other side of the room, it was Bellatrix, who was leaning against the wall re-tying a large velvet ribbon in her hair which had come loose, who answered.

'What sort of question is that? It's 1961 of course; 1962, nearly. That's what Auntie and Uncle are having a party for, but we're not allowed to stay up for it.' She paused. 'I wanted to hear the bells; I see why Cissy can't stay up, she's only six, but I'm going to Hogwarts in September.'

At that point Narcissa, for the first time, noticed the adult Sirius sitting in the corner.

'Uncle Orion? Why are you down here?'

At the mention of their uncle's name, Andromeda and Bellatrix whipped round, the older girl speaking first.

'That's not Uncle Orion, Cissy.'

'He does look like him though.'

'Apart from the fact that he looks like a vagrant.'

Sirius spat out his butterbeer at his cousin's assessment, and Harry, who was sitting next to his godfather, despite his hatred for Bellatrix after encountering Frank and Alice Longbottom during his visit to St Mungo's, couldn't help but snort with laughter.

Andromeda spoke next.

'Are you...are you the squib?'

'What are you talking about, Anna?'

'You know, Grandpa Black's squib brother.'

'Grandpa doesn't have a squib brother.'

'Yes he does, Bella, that's what the hole in the tapestry is.'

'The Black family does not produce squibs, Anna!'

'Uncle Alphard told me.'

'You need to stop believing everything Uncle Alphard tells you; he makes things up because he thinks it's funny that you're so gullible.'

'I am _not_ gullible!'

'And even if Grandpa Black did have a squib for a brother, Auntie and Uncle would never allow a squib in the house.'

'Well, he is in the _kitchens._ Perhaps he needs charity? He certainly looks as if he needs it. And anyway, we shouldn't be horrid to squibs; it's not their fault mudbloods stole their magic.'

The whole room drew in a collective breath. It was not entirely surprising that the word had been used, what _was_ surprising, to those who had not known Andromeda prior to her relationship with Ted, was that she, rather than Bellatrix, had been the first to use it. The situation was not helped by the toddler Sirius, amused by this unfamiliar word, yelling out 'Mudblood!' repeatedly, and with enthusiasm. He emerged from behind a chair and started stomping round the edges of the room shouting 'Mudblood! Mudblood! Mudblood! Mubblood! Mubblub! Mudblood! Mubblub!' It took some time for him to tire of the sound.

'Andromeda Black,' growled Sirius, 'I will not have that word uttered in my presence. I expect better from you.'

'But...' and then Andromeda went quiet. She looked at Sirius, and then looked at the toddler now crawling between people's legs under the table, and then she looked at the glittering gold hourglass in Minerva's hand, and back at Sirius, and back at Minerva.

'That's a time turner,' she said quietly. 'That's why you asked us what year it is.'

'What's a time turner, Anna?' Narcissa interrupted.

'It's a magical object that allows you to travel in time. They're _really_ rare.'

'Where did you hear about time turners, little one?' asked Remus.

Andromeda sighed, and reached into a voluminous pocket in her apron, pulling out a beautiful, leather bound book. The title spelt out "Magical Curios" in gold lettering.

'Uncle Alphard gave it to me for my birthday, and a subscription to Transfiguration Today,' she said, grinning broadly. 'Though some of the words in the journal are awfully big,' she said, wrinkling her nose. 'I don't understand all of them; but I look up those words in Daddy's dictionary, and I'm learning lots and lots.'

Remus smiled at the child's earnestness. If only all children were so eager to learn. Suddenly remembering why she was having this conversation, Andromeda looked at the toddler Sirius, and then back at the adult.

'He's you, isn't he? You're him, all grown up?' And then, 'So what year is it?'

'1995; nearly 1996,' Sirius responded.

Andromeda went white.


	4. Chapter 4

'But it can't be!' Bellatrix shouted, fear in her voice. 'You're lying, you must be!'

'I don't think he is, Bella. This isn't our Grimmauld Place, anyone can see that.'

'But how are we going to get back? We can't _stay_ here.' Her eyes were darting around the room, landing on Kingsley more often than not, panic evident in her face. She sank to the floor, drew her knees up to her chest and started to weep.

'I want Mum.'

Andromeda, whose face was also showing signs of stress, nudged Narcissa, who crept up to her eldest sister, sat down beside her and laid her head on her shoulder.

'Don't cry, Bella, they know you're weak if you cry, that's what you always tell me.'

Andromeda, meanwhile, sidled up to Tonks and tugged on her robes.

'How do we get home? Can you help?'

Tonks smiled down at her...mother.

'Sirius, take hold of your brother a minute.'

Sirius obliged, being extra careful as he eased the baby into his arms, for Regulus was now fast asleep. Tonks knelt down and put her arm round Andromeda.

'I don't know yet, Toots, but you _do_ get home, I can promise you that.'

'How do you _know?_ '

Tonks gestured over to the adult Sirius.

'Well, he's here, isn't he? All grown up. And he doesn't remember this incident at all. And I saw _you_ just this morning.

'Me?'

'Yep. And your little sister over there? I bumped into her in Diagon Alley yesterday.'

'I'll bet _that_ was a pleasant experience,' sniggered Fred under his breath.

'We'll speak to Dumbledore; he'll know what to do. He knows _everything_.'

Andromeda seemed satisfied by this response. She noticed Kingsley was kneeling down speaking to Bellatrix.

'Come on, stop crying. I'm sorry for scaring you, I'm sorry for losing my temper. I was frightened, just like you are now.'

'Why would you be frightened of _me?_ I'm _ten._ '

Kingsley sighed, wondering how much he could safely tell her.

'There's a war on. This is a hideout from a horrible, dangerous wizard and his followers who we're fighting against. There are all sorts of enchantments on the house keeping it safe and hidden. No one is supposed to be able to get in here unless we let them, and then you lot turned up. Sometimes, this bad wizard, he even puts children under the imperius curse and forces them to do dark magic on his behalf. So the fact that you were a child didn't tell me that you weren't a threat. I'm sorry.'

Bellatrix considered this, nodded, and wiped her eyes. She turned to Sirius.

'I see you still don't like taking baths. I should have expected you to have grown out of that by now.'

Harry snorted again.

'I'm not unclean! I washed this morning!'

'Sirius has been...ill, Bellatrix, that's why he looks a little rough,' said Remus with a smile.

'Ill? Are you all right now?'

'Fine, just a bit bored at being stuck in here just be-'

'Whilst he recovers,' finished Remus firmly.

Whilst Minerva went off to send a patronus to Dumbledore, Andromeda's voice cut through the room; she had climbed up onto the bench next to her daughter and was occupying herself interrogating her.

'What's your name?'

'Tonks.'

'Your name can't be _Tonks_.'

'It's Nymphadora.'

'Shut up, Lupin.'

'But that's a _beautiful_ name,' gasped Andromeda.

'You would say that.'

'Don't you like it? What about your hair? Does your mummy _let_ you charm your hair pink?' said Andromeda, as she reached up and flicked her fingers through the short pink strands.

'My mum doesn't get much say in the matter,' said Tonks with a laugh. She screwed up her face in concentration and her hair transformed. When her expression relaxed, her hair was long, wavy and dark blonde.

'See? She can't even get me to stop by confiscating my wand!'

'You're a metamorphmagus?' whispered Andromeda with awe. 'Bella! Come here, come and see this!'

Bellatrix ran over to join her sister. Narcissa, who obviously had no intention of being left out of the fun, followed close behind.

'She's a metamorphmagus!'

'Wow,' said Bellatrix, obviously impressed.

'I've never met a metamorphmagus before.'

'I suppose they feature in your book?'

Andromeda blushed.

'Yes. And animagi. I want to be an animagus when I grow up.'

'Well, when Professor McGonagall comes back, I'm sure she'll tell you all about the process. She can transform into a cat.'

'Really?'

'Yep.'

 _'I_ could tell you all about animagi,' interrupted Sirius sulkily.

'She can _also_ explain all the legalities around registration to you. And all about the rule that says you can't start the process until you're _at least seventeen_.'

Sirius glared at her.

'Is that how your hair looks naturally?'

'Yeah.'

'I really like that you're a metamorphmagus,' started Andromeda seriously, 'but I really think you should keep your hair natural. It's so lovely like that, and it looks _much_ prettier than the pink.'

So you keep telling me.'

It was then that Minerva came back into the room.

'Bad news, I'm afraid. Albus has important business to attend to and can't be here until tomorrow evening.'

'But what are we going to do with them?' asked Molly. 'They can't stay here. The girls' room is full, and the empty bedrooms haven't been decontaminated yet. It's not safe at all.'

The adults in the room looked worried, until Tonks piped up, 'What about my mum's?'


	5. Chapter 5

In the circumstances, Tonks' suggestion seemed like the best solution, although Molly did not seem entirely happy about it. A message was quickly sent to Dumbledore, and within five minutes a note with Grimmauld Place's details on it came flying down the chimney, and Tonks, grabbing it, rushed off to her parents'.

Andromeda made a beeline for Professor McGonagall, and begged her to transform.

'I did not become an animagus for your gratification, Miss Black,' said the professor sternly.

But as the child looked up at her with pleading eyes, Minerva relented; to Andromeda's delight, the old woman vanished and a grey tabby cat appeared in her place. Andromeda moved to pet the animal, whereupon Minerva swiftly transformed back.

'As I said, Miss Black...'

So Andromeda instead satisfied herself by badgering the professor with all the questions that came into her head about the process.

'Does it hurt?'

'What if you get the charms wrong?'

'Is your animal always the same as your patronus?'

'Can your animagus form change, like your patronus can?'

Minerva, who rather enjoyed the novelty of encountering a child genuinely enthusiastic about obscure academics, and knowing that by the time Andromeda reached Hogwarts, she would have become much more introverted and subdued, answered the girl's questions generously.

Regulus, who was wide awake again, was being passed around the room like a parcel. He seemed to be quite content being fussed over, and was rewarding the adults petting him with gummy smiles. The adult Sirius was looking on with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

'How old is he?' asked Arthur, bouncing the baby on his knee.

'Three months,' answered Sirius. 'He was born at the end of September that year.'

Harry looked at his godfather; Sirius's whole demeanour had changed. Rather than bitter and resentful, he seemed happy and sad at the same time. It appeared that despite Sirius's bravado, he had deeply missed the brother that he had probably never allowed himself to mourn. Harry couldn't imagine how weird it must be to be reunited with your dead brother by his reappearance as a baby in your kitchen. However, it was another sight that was truly transfixing Harry. If anyone had ever told him that he would one day witness Bellatrix Lestrange, no, _Black_ , giving his godfather and Narcissa Malfoy, no, _Black,_ piggyback rides around the kitchen of Grimmauld Place in turn, he would have assumed that they had had an unfortunate accident involving an overdose of hallucinogenic potion and a day in the company of Xenophillius Lovegood. However, this was _exactly_ what he was witnessing.

'Merlin, Cissy, when did you get so heavy?'

'I am not heavy!'

'So why do my hips feel like they're about to drop off?'

'I am _not_ heavy!'

'You're much heavier than Sirius.'

'He's _two._ '

'You're almost as fat as Andromeda.'

'I heard that! I'm wearing _your_ old dress, Bella, so if I'm fat, you were too!'

'I was only teasing, Anna.'

Bellatrix _was_ only teasing. No one would honestly have described Andromeda as fat. The best way of describing her would have been to say she was like Bellatrix, but with the edges smudged. She was a little shorter, a _little_ fatter; her hair a shade lighter, her nose a little softer, her lips slightly fuller. But she had the same high cheekbones and heavily hooded eyes, the same strong jaw and sleek thick hair, and the overall impression was very much the same.

'Right,' said Bellatrix, setting Narcissa down, 'I've had enough.' She turned to the adult Sirius, 'it's _my_ turn.'

'Excuse me?'

'I said it's my turn.'

Sirius smirked at her.

'I thought you were all grown up, going to Hogwarts next year? Only children get piggybacks, you're much too old. Can't have a _nearly Hogwarts student_ getting piggybacks. The world would explode, I'll give your sister one, shall I?'

 _'Please!_ Uncle Alphard still lets me, and I'm only _nearly_ at Hogwarts, I'm not there yet!'

Sirius grinned at her.

'Go on then.'

Harry had viewed this exchange with increasing amusement.

'I thought you said Andromeda was your favourite cousin?'

'What?' shrieked Bellatrix with indignation, cuffing Sirius round the ear as she went to clamber onto his back.

'One can _dream_ , I suppose,' said Andromeda sulkily.

'It seems my little cousin has a selective memory when it comes to his family,' said a woman's voice from the doorway. Sirius turned round to see a brown-haired woman lowering the hood of her cloak.

'Hello, Sirius; it's good to see you again.'

'Anna?'

The woman, half laughing, smiled, strode over and enveloped Sirius in a warm hug. Behind her, still coming down the stairs, was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark blonde hair and a friendly face. The faint sounds of exchanged insults between an old painting and an angry metamorphmagus could be heard from the hall.

'Does Dora need a hand?' said Remus.

'No,' said the man, 'I get the impression she's rather enjoying herself.'

Andromeda looked her cousin up and down appraisingly.

'Sirius Black,' she chided, 'look at the state of you, you need to take better care of yourself.'

Sirius started to open his mouth in protest.

'I don't want to hear it. I don't care how depressed you are about being stuck inside, you need to eat properly. And drink less,' she added, with clear disapproval in her voice.

'Fifteen years since she last saw me and the first thing she does is criticise.'

'I'm concerned about you, that's all,' she said quietly. She then lowered her voice even further, so that only he could hear.

'I never believed it, you know. I thought you must have been imperiused. Please, Sirius, please know that I always believed in you.'

He hugged her in response. Andromeda then turned her attention to Bellatrix; she knelt down and looked into the girl's eyes. She smiled.

'I haven't seen _you_ in a long while,' she said sadly, and wrapped her arms round her older sister in a tight hug. Bellatrix returned the embrace.

'Hi, Ted,' Sirius said with a grin, nodding at the man in the doorway. 'It's good to see you too.'

Ted grinned.

'So what's this I've been hearing? You managed to steal the Minister for Magic's prototype time turner from his pocket, and transport your baby brother and three cousins thirty-four years into the future whilst you were still in nappies? Even by your standards, Sirius, that's one hell of a prank.'

Sirius appeared to be unsure as to whether he should look ashamed or proud. His younger self, however, who was at that moment jumping up and down on the kitchen table, had no such moral quandary, and was grinning from ear to ear.

Little Andromeda was looking up at her older self in wonder.

'You're me?'

Andromeda smiled.

'I am.'

'Is that your husband?'

'He is.'

Andromeda looked over at Ted and blushed.

'And Nymphadora's your daughter?'

'She is.'

'So I have a _daughter_?'

Little Andromeda seemed to find this incredibly amusing; and started giggling helplessly. When she controlled herself, she looked at her older self and said, very seriously, 'You agree with me, don't you, that she needs to stop morphing her hair pink?'

'Oh, absolutely,' said Andromeda with a wink, as Nymphadora slipped back into the room. 'You'll need to help me talk her round. Just _think_ what we can achieve with two of us!'

'So when do you need me to bring the girls back by?' asked Andromeda to the room.

'Dumbledore's coming tomorrow evening, but what do you mean? Aren't you taking them all?' asked Sirius, sounding horrified.

'I don't have the beds, Sirius. The girls won't mind sharing, but I don't think it's fair to subject them to that little demon,' she nodded at the toddler. 'I remember how you used to kick...

'And anyway,' she continued, smiling sweetly, 'I think it's about time you experienced what the rest of us had to put up with.'

'Are you sure you can't take them all?' Sirius sounded desperate.

'Oh, we can't expect _Lady Andromeda_ to put herself out now, can we?' said Molly haughtily.

'Don't speak to my mum like that!' cried Tonks as Ted growled, 'Don't you dare speak to my wife like that!'

'I don't recall asking your opinion, Prewett,' said Andromeda coldly. 'Don't look so terrified, Sirius, I'm sure Remus will help you; I seem to remember he was relatively sensible for a friend of yours. Anyway, we had best be going, these two look ready for bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Nymphadora, are you coming home tonight?'

'I'll be home before the bells.'

Narcissa and little Andromeda were both rubbing their eyes. Andromeda scooped Narcissa up in her arms, and Ted picked up little Andromeda. Bellatrix followed them out. As soon as the group reached the square outside, Bellatrix grabbed Andromeda's arm, and the five of them apparated away.

 **A/N Although I realise that Molly is fond of Dora, I never saw Andromeda and Molly as being natural allies, so couldn't resist adding that bit in. Anyway, hope people enjoyed the chapter. Constructive criticism is very welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6

The little group emerged at the Tonks' residence in Cambridge. Bellatrix tried to take in her new surroundings, but she felt a little dizzy after apparating, and it was a dark, cloudy night and the moon peeking feebly through the clouds did not provide much light. As they walked up the path towards the house, Bellatrix's eyes started to adjust slightly and she could vaguely make out an ancient oak at the foot of a gently sloping lawn, with various fruit trees growing closer to the house. The garden appeared well-tended, but not clinically so. (It would certainly have looked out of place in Privet Drive, though that observation escaped Bellatrix.) The house itself was a pleasant looking Victorian building (though Bellatrix could not make out the colour of the stonework), with bay windows, an entrance porch with chequered tiles on the floor, and stained glass in the green front door. The door had a brass knocker in the shape, she noted, of a badger's head. The house and garden were set well back from the nearest road and would not have been easily seen by passing muggles.

Ted went to unlock the door, struggling a little to find his wand with one hand in the dark, as he was still carrying little Andromeda (who was now fast asleep). Eventually the door was opened and they stepped inside.

'Bella,' whispered Andromeda, 'are you ready for bed?'

'It's only half past seven!'

Andromeda smiled.

'I'll take that as a "no" then?'

'May I stay up for the bells?' The voice was pleading, but tinged with optimism, as if she realised that Andromeda was unlikely to refuse her.

'I don't have any objection, it is New Year after all. I suppose the real question though is if you think you _can_.'

'I can, I swear!'

'All right, wait in the sitting room while we deal with these two. I'll be down in a minute and I'll get you something to eat; you must be starving.'

Bellatrix looked at her sister curiously.

'Can't Lottie get me something? You'll be ages upstairs; Cissy always fusses.'

'Lottie?'

'Yes, _Lottie._ '

'We don't have a house-elf, Bella.'

'What do you mean? Lottie _worships_ you. I thought...I just thought Mother and Father would gift her to you when you married.'

Andromeda bit her lip and paused, Bellatrix wasn't oblivious to the hesitancy.

'We had to consider Lottie's job satisfaction. I think this house would have been a little small for her; she would have been bored out of her mind. We manage well enough ourselves. Now off you go.'

As Andromeda and Ted mounted the stairs, Bellatrix stepped into the sitting room. The room was black, except for a faint glow coming from the mantelpiece, which Bellatrix recognised as a sleeping fairy. Bellatrix thought it rather odd that her sister had domesticated a fairy, but she was glad of the faint light. Bellatrix had always been a little afraid of the dark, though she tried her hardest not to let her younger sisters realise. She wished she had a wand to light the room, and groped around hopefully in case Andromeda had left a spare one lying around. However, at that moment the fire, as if it sensed that she was there, burst into life and she sighed with relief at the friendly, comforting light that filled the room. The new light gave her the chance to take in the photographs on the mantelpiece. There was something not quite right about them; Bellatrix frowned as she looked at them. But the child was tired, and she couldn't find the energy to ponder on what she had noticed right then. She settled down on the sofa and let out a yawn.

Upstairs, Andromeda and Ted were getting the two younger girls ready for bed. Little Andromeda had woken whilst being carried into the room, and was now struggling into an old nightdress of Nymphadora's. Narcissa, far from Bellatrix's prediction, was still fast asleep, and her head rolled on Andromeda's shoulder as Andromeda gently brushed and pleated her hair.

'Go and brush your teeth, Anna; Ted, give her a hand, she's still half asleep, there should be a spare toothbrush in the cupboard.'

As her younger self staggered off, Andromeda carefully laid Narcissa down on the bed. She felt a lump in her throat as she looked at this babyish, innocent version of the sister she hadn't spoken to in over twenty years. She stroked Narcissa's cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead.

'Good night, little one.'

Little Andromeda re-entered the room, closely followed by Ted. She looked slightly worried.

'How am I going to sleep without Babbity?' she asked quietly.

Andromeda laughed, she should have known that would worry her.

'That one,' she said with a smile, 'I can solve for you. Give me two minutes.' And she left the room. When she returned, she was carrying a battered, threadbare old rabbit with button eyes.

'Miss Babbity Lisette Black, at your service. I'm afraid she's a little worse for wear; Nymphadora took to chewing her ears when she was teething. But she's the same Babbity, just a bit elderly.'

Little Andromeda did not seem to care how old Babbity now was; she took the rabbit and wrapped it in her arms contentedly. She clambered into bed beside her sister and looked up at her older self with enormous eyes.

'It's awfully curious, isn't it, you being me? You being old and me being little.'

'I'm forty-two, I'm hardly decrepit,' Andromeda responded with a laugh. 'People grow up, Anna, that isn't strange at all. But you five turning up here was certainly unexpected. I certainly never imagined I should meet my eight year old self again,' she said with amusement in her voice.

' _Are_ you an animagus?'

Andromeda laughed.

'You don't want to know the whole plot of the story before you finish the book, Anna-ban. Where would be the fun in that? Now go to sleep.'

She kissed her goodnight and closed the door.

When Ted and Andromeda got downstairs, they found Bellatrix fast asleep on the sofa. Andromeda found a blanket and drew it gently over her sister's shoulders. Ted looked at his wife.

'You really miss them, don't you?'

In response, a tear rolled down Andromeda's cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Remus Lupin looked down warmly at the baby nestled in his arm, who was drinking contentedly from a bottle of milk. One of Regulus's tiny hands rested on the bottle, and the other was tugging on Remus's shabby robes. Remus couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart; caring for a child like this felt so right, and Regulus didn't care what Remus was; all that mattered to him was that someone was attending to his needs.

Molly smiled at the scene.

'You're a natural, Remus. You'll make a wonderful father some day.'

'I won't ever have a family, Molly.'

'Nonsense, Remus, you're still a young man. You've got plenty of time.'

'My age has nothing to do with it, Molly. I can't have a family.'

'Remus...'

'It wouldn't be _safe_. Even if someone was willing to look past the fact that I'm a werewolf.'

'Waywoof?' Little Sirius's eyes lit up. He then took to stomping round the kitchen again, yelling 'waywoof! Waywoof! Waywoof! Woof, woof, woof!' and followed this up with a series of delighted howls. He kept glancing over at Remus, awe evident in his eyes.

'I think you'd make someone very happy, Remus,' said Tonks quietly, 'whoever it was would be very lucky.'

'Are you volunteering, little cousin?' said Sirius with a grin. He then looked on in surprise as Tonks blushed scarlet, and mumbled something incoherent.

Molly, who had been facing away from Tonks attending to a pot of soup on the stove, missed the younger woman's embarrassment.

'So do you have any nice young men lined up, Tonks dear?'

' _Molly_!' shrieked Tonks. 'You're worse than my _gran_. She's all "oh, when are you going to settle down with a nice man, Dora. Mrs Jones down the road has a lovely young grandson; he's a doctor, you know; very respectable. He would be quite the catch!"' Tonks mimicked.

'Don't you get on with your grandmother, then?'

'Oh Granny Tonks is _brilliant,_ ' Tonks laughed, 'I love her to pieces. Highlight of my week used to be baking the muggle way with Granny and Grandpa on a Saturday morning.'

'When you say "baking", I take it you mean "creating as much mess as possible and eating most of the batter before it makes its way into the oven?'

'Naturally. And smashing Gran's best mixing bowl, several times. Thank Merlin for Mum's competency with "reparo". Gran never minded, but I would have felt so guilty...she's certainly much better than the other one. I know Mum used to send Grandma Black photos, but she never responded; I doubt she'd even recognise me if we passed in the street; and if she did she'd probably treat me like a flobberworm. I can't imagine she's any friendlier than _Auntie Narcissa_.' There was a hint of bitterness in her voice.

'Don't insult Cissy,' shouted Sirius in mock horror. 'She's only six and she's still scared of spiders!'

Tonks laughed.

'I had no idea it bothered you so much.'

'It doesn't, really. But it bothers Mum, even after so many years, and _that_ bothers me.'

Little Sirius was getting bored with the adults' conversation. No one was paying him any attention, despite his best efforts. He wanted attention, and was determined to get it. He caught Fred and George's eyes and toddled over to them, his face set with scheming mischief.

'Here, Remus, let me see my brother,' said Sirius.

Remus passed Regulus, who had finished his bottle, over to his friend. Sirius held the baby in the crook of his arm.

'Come on, Reggie, let's go upstairs.'

The residents of the kitchen could hear Sirius talking to his brother, though his voice grew fainter as he made his way up the stairs.

'You're going to listen to your big brother, Reggie. You're not going to listen to Mum; as soon as you're old enough to talk, you're going to tell her what a silly old moo she is.'

Regulus gurgled.

'Yes, you are, that's right. You're going to tell her that she doesn't know what she's talking about. And then, when you go to Hogwarts, you're going to join me in Gryffindor. You don't belong in Slytherin, you're too brave and clever for that.'

Regulus grabbed a fistful of Sirius's hair and crammed it in his mouth.

'And then, when you leave Hogwarts, you're not going to join the Death Eaters, you're going to join the Order. Yes, that's right. You're going to join the Order and we're going to be Sirius and Regulus: Scum-fighting brothers extraordinaire!'

Just then, the doorbell rang, and the curtains covering Wahlburga's portrait flew open.

'YOU!' she screamed. 'Blood-traitor, filth, shame of my flesh!'

Sirius turned round to face the portrait, revealing to Wahlburga the baby he was carrying. Mrs Black's portrait was momentarily silenced.

'Regulus?' she choked. 'Is that my Reggie? How did my baby get here? I've missed you, my precious boy; my good boy; my boy who always honoured the House of his Fathers.'

Sirius glared at his mother.

'My brother who died trying to please you,' he snarled. 'My brother who got himself in above his head in something he was too young to understand trying to _honour his House._ ' he spat. 'It was your fault, you know. Perhaps if he hadn't been such a good son, he would still be alive today.'

And for the first time since the Order had set up Headquarters in Grimmauld Place, Mrs Black went quiet without her curtains being drawn.


	8. Chapter 8

'Should we wake her?' whispered Ted.

'Wait till midnight, she's obviously exhausted.' A pause. 'Ted, are you all right with this?'

'I'm struggling to get my head round it, to be honest. She looks so...small.'

Andromeda sat down on the sofa beside her sister and laid a hand gently on the child's cheek.

'I wish she could have stayed like this. I'm trying to forget what became of her, just for tonight. We were so close, the three of us, and then it all went wrong. And I can't shake the thought that if I hadn't met you, I should have ended up exactly like her.'

'You would never have ended up like her, Anna.'

'Wouldn't I? Everyone always said how alike we were. I can't help feeling that I was lucky. I met you, and you showed me a different path. But if I hadn't, if I had ended up married to someone I viewed with contempt, if I had spent my adult life bored and frustrated, being expected to fulfil a role that wasn't what I wanted, I might have sought fulfilment elsewhere.'

'People only thought the two of you were alike because it suited you to let them. You were always a lot stronger than her, Anna. You were too much of a Slytherin to ever do anything you didn't want to do, and you were too ambitious to ever subjugate yourself to a man. And of course,' he said with a grin, 'you had such good taste, you were only ever going to fall for me.'

Andromeda threw a cushion at her husband, but her mood had visibly lifted.

By half past eleven, Nymphadora Tonks had returned home. She arrived in her usual fashion; she clattered down the hall, fell into the sitting room and threw herself on her mother, embracing her in a tight hug. Andromeda hugged her back.

'Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you, Mum.'

'What do you mean?' Andromeda laughed.

'That was Sirius's punishment for being a reckless Gryffindor and getting himself locked up, wasn't it?'

'What was?'

'Leaving him with, well, him.'

'I don't know what you're talking about, Nymphadora,' said Andromeda innocently. 'Like I said to Sirius, we really couldn't have accommodated five.'

Tonks raised an eyebrow, and a tiny smirk played on Andromeda's lips.

'So what was he up to?'

'What wasn't he up to? He just doesn't _stop_. And he's _still_ awake; or at least he was when I left. Was I like that?'

No. You're not much like Sirius at all. You've always been a lot kinder. But you had your own unique brand of mischief,' she glanced at her daughter's hair, 'which caused me no end of headaches.'

'So, how's the prisoner?' said Tonks, glancing over at the sleeping Bellatrix.

Andromeda tensed. 'Dora, please; don't joke about that.'

'Sorry.'

'I should probably wake her, actually; I promised she could stay up for the bells.'

'Why does it mean so much to her?'

'I suppose it's just because we were never allowed. It's just the desirability of the forbidden fruit, isn't it? Wanting what she can't have.'

It was five minutes to midnight, and Bellatrix was rifling through Ted's record collection. She didn't look too impressed with the selection, until finally she let out a delighted shriek and pounced on one particular record.

' _Rachmaninov_! Can we put this one on? Please?'

Ted rolled his eyes.

'Typical, I have a whole collection of brilliant music, and you pick the only record that your sister owns.'

'I thought Rachmaninov was a muggle composer, Bella,' said Tonks wickedly.

'Well you thought wrong,' said Bellatrix with all the haughtiness a ten year old could muster. 'He was _obviously_ a wizard. A muggle couldn't have composed like that; they don't have the brains.'

'We'll put it on at midnight, Bella. Let's concentrate on the wireless for now, it's nearly time,' said Andromeda softly.

'Firewhisky, Bellatrix?'

 _'Ted!_ There's some pumpkin juice in the kitchen, Bella.'

And so they waited for the bells on the crackling wireless to ring in the New Year. When the last strike had sounded Andromeda, Ted and Tonks got out their wands and shot multitudes of brightly coloured sparks round the room, as Bellatrix watched on in delight. Andromeda, as she had promised, put the record onto the gramophone and let the music fill the air. Ted grabbed her round the waist, Tonks grabbed Bellatrix, and the four of them waltzed round the room, but all the while Bellatrix was glancing at the photographs on the mantelpiece, and her face, though the rest of the room didn't notice, was growing more and more concerned. Andromeda stopped, exhausted, and looked into her husband's eyes.

'I love you, Edward Tonks,' she whispered, and Ted looked like the happiest man in the world.


	9. Chapter 9

Andromeda was lying in bed, curled up next to her husband, in that strange state between sleep and consciousness. Ted was fast asleep, and snoring. His snoring had annoyed her when they were first married when she was eighteen; she'd used a silencing charm on him more than once (not that she'd ever told him that; he had always been a much heavier sleeper than her, so she had always been able to lift the charm before he woke), but she had long become so used to it that she couldn't sleep without the gentle rhythm of his breathing. Andromeda became vaguely aware of the sound of the bedroom door creaking open, and a few seconds later was properly woken by a small hand tugging on the sleeve of her nightdress. She turned round to see Bellatrix standing at the side of her bed, her eyes red-rimmed and wide; her chin quivering. It pained Andromeda to see this vulnerable little girl standing in front of her, knowing the monster that she would become.

What's wrong, Bella?'

Bellatrix just stood there, shivering, not saying anything, twisting her feet on the floorboards. Eventually, she opened her mouth.

'Can I come in with you?'

'If you tell me what's wrong.'

'I can't sleep.'

'Are you missing Mum?'

'No.'

'There isn't a boggart in that cupboard again, is there?'

'No. Can I come in with you?' she was sniffling a little now.

Andromeda had almost forgotten how stubborn her sister was; she sat up and swung her legs out of the bed.

'Why don't we go downstairs? I can make us some hot chocolate and you can tell me what's bothering you. Then you can come into my bed. Deal?'

Bellatrix nodded. Andromeda took Bellatrix's hand and led her down the stairs.

'I like your husband,' Bellatrix whispered. 'He's funny, and he really loves you, doesn't he?'

Andromeda smiled sadly.

'I thought you might like him, once you got to know him. It's hard _not_ to like Ted; he's rather infuriatingly loveable.'

'I like Nymphadora too. And she must be an awfully powerful witch to be an Auror.'

As they walked into the kitchen, wordlessly, Andromeda flicked her wand at the lamps and they flared into life.

'What is your wand?'

'Cedar and phoenix feather. I've had the same wand since I was eleven years old. I'm rather proud of it, actually.'

'What about Sirius?'

'I've never asked, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't dogwood; subtlety never was his strong point.'

Bellatrix went quiet again. Andromeda motioned for her sister to sit, and Bellatrix pulled up a chair by the kitchen table and watched as Andromeda set about boiling milk for their drinks. By and by, the chocolate was finished and Andromeda carried two steaming mugs to the table. Bellatrix eagerly pulled her mug towards herself and drank the sweet liquid deeply.

'Now why don't you tell me what the matter is?'

Bellatrix put her mug down and bit her lip, staring at the table and refusing to meet Andromeda's gaze. Her eyes welled with tears.

'Bella, tell me. I can't help if you don't.'

After several minutes of silent brooding, Bellatrix looked up at her sister.

'Am I dead?'

'What? No.'

'Are you just saying that so as not to scare me? Adults _always_ do that.'

'No, Bella, I promise you. What makes you ask such a thing anyway?'

'Nymphadora said that she spoke to you this morning.'

'Well of course she did, she's my daughter.'

'And she obviously knows Sirius, and she also said she saw Cissy yesterday.'

Suddenly Andromeda realised where this was going.

'But she didn't say anything about me. And then that boy said that you were Sirius's favourite cousin. But Sirius has always liked me best. And if I'm not dead, why aren't there any photographs of me in your house? Not even in your wedding photographs. We're _best friends_ Anna, and I don't even seem to have been your bridesmaid.'

Andromeda couldn't remember the last time her sister had called her "Anna". Thinking about it, it must have been the day she announced her engagement, probably about thirty seconds before she announced her engagement, actually. Because Bellatrix had had no idea, she hadn't seen it coming; Andromeda, always the consummate Slytherin, had hidden the relationship so well. It had torn Andromeda apart to betray her family, but she had made up her mind, finally, the day both Bellatrix and their cousin Evan had announced that they had taken the mark, because that was the day she realised she had lost her big sister for good, and her family had truly cast the self-destruct spell. There was no going back from joining Voldemort.

Just at the precise moment Andromeda had told her family her news, in an uncharacteristic moment of self-deception, she had fancied that they would accept Ted; she had been disabused of that notion fairly quickly. Bellatrix had been furious; her parents unexpectedly calm. They had simply not believed it because they had never had any reason not to trust her before; they just told her that she was being foolish; she was a teenager who had been hoodwinked by a clever manipulator, she had put herself in extraordinary danger, but they would deal with it. Her mother had commented with concern that she looked like she was under the influence of the imperius curse. They had reassured her that it wasn't too late, that no one needed to know about her indiscretion, that they would make sure that the boy never came near her again. The implicit threat on her fiancé had horrified Andromeda, and that night, Andromeda had run away from home. She hadn't actually been blasted off the family tapestry until the day after her wedding, because her parents had never believed that she would go through with it; they had trusted her till the last moment possible.

Andromeda snapped herself out of her thoughts and looked at Bellatrix again.

'You're not dead, Bellatrix, I swear it.'

'So what happened to us?'

'We just don't really talk anymore, Bella. We haven't for a long time.'

'But why? Why would I ever stop talking to you?' she asked desperately.

'Ted. You didn't approve of my choice of husband.'

'But I just told you I like Ted.'

'Ted _Tonks._ '

Bellatrix's eyes widened in realisation. She started to smile with the thrill of her sister's scandalous behaviour.

'You married a _half-blood?_ '

'No, Bella, I didn't. He's muggle-born.'

The effect of this sentence on Bellatrix was immediate, and violent.

 _'What?_ ' she screamed, jumping off the chair and spilling her hot chocolate all over the table and down her nightdress.

'You married a _mudblood?_ You brought us into a house with a...a...a _savage?_ '

Panic was building behind Bellatrix's eyes.

'How could you put us in danger like that? He'll burn us in our beds! That's what muggles do to witches. We're not _safe._ '

Andromeda looked at her sister, pain, but understanding, clearly etched in her face.

'We've been married nearly a quarter of a century Bella, and he hasn't hurt me yet. We have a fairy living on the mantelpiece because Ted grew up with muggle fairy tales and as a consequence is too soft to evict it. His parents used to look after Dora all the time when she was small, and she never came to any harm. They are the kindest, gentlest people I have ever known. I know Mum and Dad love you, Bella, but they don't know everything. They were wrong about a lot of things.'

The idea that her parents might not be infallible seemed to be a rather disturbing notion to Bellatrix.

'Don't look at me,' she sobbed.

Andromeda waved her wand and the hot chocolate that was dripping down Bellatrix's front vanished. She pulled the little girl up onto her knee and hugged her tight. Bellatrix buried her face into Andromeda's shoulder.

'What about Sirius?'

'What about him?'

'He said you hadn't seen each other for fifteen years. But if he's been ill, surely you would have been visiting him to make sure he was okay? You didn't look like you'd had an argument.'

'I don't know if I should tell you, Bella.'

'I'll imagine the worst if you don't tell me.'

'He was in Azkaban, Bella. Someone framed him for something terrible. He was sent to prison, without trial, for a crime he didn't commit. He escaped a couple of years ago, but his name hasn't been cleared, so he can't go outside. I only just found out today where he was living.'

'Azkaban?' Bellatrix whispered, 'with the dementors? But that's the very worst place in the whole world. He can't go to Azkaban, not my baby cousin; he just _can't_ ,' and she started sobbing again.

'Well, you never know, maybe you were sent here to change things. It hasn't happened yet, so maybe you can stop it,' Andromeda knew how time worked, and she hated herself for lying, but she couldn't leave her sister so distraught.

'Well, if we can change things, why don't we start by going and making up, Anna? I can explain to me that Ted's all right. I'll listen to me.'

Her sister's innocence made Andromeda feel like she was like being stabbed in the heart. 'It's not that simple, Bella.'

'How could it possibly be any simpler?'

'People aren't supposed to know you're here. People aren't supposed to time travel.'

'It's okay; I can keep a secret,' she pleaded earnestly.

'It's not just that, Bella.'

Bellatrix wrinkled her brow.

'What do you mean?'

'Kingsley told you about the war?'

'Yes.'

'Well, the war we're fighting, it's against people who want to hurt muggles and muggle-borns. And we're fighting on opposite sides. If you want to change anything, Bella, you need to change it in your time, not mine.'

Bellatrix looked thoroughly defeated.

'This is the worst day I've ever had in my whole life.'

Andromeda eased Bellatrix off her knee and crossed the kitchen. She opened the door of a cupboard and after much rummaging, drew out a battered shoebox, covered in dust and sealed with spellotape. She carried it over to the table, opened it with a flick of her wand, and pulled out a bundle of photographs. Right at the bottom was a faded, black and white picture of two near identical girls in their mid-teens, with long dark hair and heavily hooded eyes, standing under a tree by the Black Lake at Hogwarts, their arms round each other, smiling at the camera.

'How about we start with putting that on the mantelpiece?' said Andromeda quietly.

And as Andromeda watched her sister walking through to the sitting room, and placing the photograph in pride of place, right in the centre of the mantelpiece, she prayed fervently that no one would let slip to this child her own eventual fate.


	10. Chapter 10

Andromeda woke up at midday to find her husband sleeping on the floor, a stuffed rabbit shoved in her face, and three small girls sprawled across the bed. Apparently her bonsai self and Narcissa had not felt the need to ask permission, and had preferred to sneak in whilst she was asleep. She wondered whether Ted had relocated to the floor voluntarily or been kicked out, whilst comatose, by a wriggling six year old. She felt someone blowing on her face.

 _'Narcissa!'_

 _'You're awake!_ ' a high-pitched voice cried happily.

'I am _now_. Must you do that?'

'Cissy, that's my head you're kneeling on,' muttered Bellatrix, who was curled up next to Andromeda.

'Sorry, Bella. Is Anna still pretending?' asked Narcissa in a stage whisper.

'I'm awake! Don't poke me!' screeched little Andromeda hurriedly, scrambling to her feet, jumping out of the bed and landing on Ted's stomach. Ted let out a groan.

'And my wife claims Dora got her mischief from _my_ side of the family...'

'You're awake too!'

'I see etiquette lessons haven't started yet,' said Andromeda dryly.

'Oh, we know how to behave in public,' said little Andromeda brightly, 'but you're not public.'

Andromeda laughed at her younger self's response.

'Of course, it's all about being _seen_ to be respectable,' she said, rolling her eyes.

'That's what Uncle Alphard says!'

'All _right_. Go and get dressed. Cissy, do you need a hand?'

Narcissa, who was by this point sitting primly on the edge of the bed, her ankles crossed and her hands folded neatly on her lap; as if trying to demonstrate to Andromeda just how well she _could_ behave, shook her head, slipped off the bed, and with an elegant toss of her blonde head, skipped balletically towards the door, dragging little Andromeda along with her.

'I can dress myself,' she said in a slightly injured tone. 'I'm _six._ '

Andromeda looked at Bellatrix, who was still curled up next to her. She still looked a little fragile.

'Feeling better?'

Bellatrix nodded slowly, although her agreement didn't really convince Andromeda, who knew that it was a point of honour for Bellatrix not to admit to weakness. She sighed.

'Go and get dressed, then. Give Cissy a hand, will you? I know perfectly well she never dresses herself, and we both know she's going to get herself in a muddle.'

Bellatrix smiled weakly, slipped out the bed and made towards the door.

'You know,' said Ted, massaging his ribs, 'I never thought I would ever feel sorry for your parents, but I'm seriously starting to reconsider.'

Within half an hour three children and two adults were downstairs. Andromeda was cooking lunch, but in the meantime the children, who had not had any evening meal the night before, were sitting at the kitchen table eating toast. Narcissa was ensconced on Ted's knee, her face covered in bright red jam; little Andromeda was dropping crumbs all over Babbity, who was sat on her lap; both were watching in fascination as Ted levitated an apple and used a severing charm to peel it in one go, without breaking the peel; and Bellatrix sat quietly, eyeing Ted slightly warily, but unable to find anything about the muggle-born's behaviour that she could object to.

A few minutes later, Tonks came stumbling into the kitchen, tripping over a flagstone tile and ending up splayed on the floor.

'Are you all right, Dora?' said Ted, in a tone of voice that suggested this wasn't anything he hadn't been expecting.

'Never better,' said Tonks sarcastically, as she sat on the floor rubbing her knees and examining a fresh graze on her elbow. Andromeda tossed a jar of graze-removal paste at her, having reacted so quickly it was almost as if she had got the jar out of the cupboard as soon as she had heard her daughter coming down the stairs. Tonks looked round at the occupants in the room.

'It's like a Slytherin coven in here, how about we charm the room yellow, Dad, and make things a bit more civilised?'

Andromeda struggled to contain a laugh. Little Andromeda got up from her seat and sat down beside Tonks, smiling up at her.

'I'm going to Slytherin?'

'You were never going to go anywhere else,' Ted laughed.

Suddenly Tonks spotted Babbity in little Andromeda's hand.

'So that's where she went! I don't remember saying you could borrow her!' she cried teasingly.

'I needed her more than you did,' said little Andromeda haughtily, 'you're too old for rabbits.'

'I wasn't aware there was an age limit.'

'And anyway, she was mine first, and I haven't given her to you yet.'

Tonks didn't really have an answer for that.

'When do we need to leave for Grimmauld Place, Mum?'

'We're in no rush; Dumbledore's not scheduled to arrive until this evening.'

Andromeda sounded a little sad. Bellatrix couldn't help but notice, and remembering their conversation, smiled at her sister.

'It's all right, Anna, we'll see each other soon, I promise.' She was surprised when Andromeda did not look comforted at all.


	11. Chapter 11

That evening, the family returned to Grimmauld Place. Andromeda had hoped not to disturb her aunt's portrait, but accompanied by her uncoordinated daughter, such hope was nothing but fantasy. Within seconds of coming in the door, Tonks tripped on a wrinkle in the hall carpet and crashed to the floor, taking the umbrella stand with her. A pair of velvet curtains flew open and Wahlburga's screams of rage filled the hallway.

'You!' she screeched, her cries directed at her niece, 'mud-wallowing _filth!'_

'A pleasure to see you too, Auntie,' smiled Andromeda calmly.

'Wretched, traitorous girl; never did I think you would betray us, didn't we teach you anything about loyalty? How could you abandon us for a thieving, mudblood savage?'

'Really, Auntie,' said Andromeda with a smirk, 'did you learn nothing? You can't breed snakes and expect them to behave like badgers. And my husband didn't steal his magic, that's not how it works.'

' _He_ is here? You've brought that _abomination_ into my house?'

'And there was me thinking ownership ended with death.'

'Delighted to make your acquaintance, Mrs Black,' said Ted pleasantly, doffing his hat at the painting.

Wahlburga's portrait, by this point, was nearly apoplectic with fury, her cheeks flushing a fiery red. The door to the kitchen stairs opened and Sirius, looking slightly traumatised, his miniature self gripped tightly under his arm, popped his head round the door.

'Evening cousin,' he said, then glanced up at his mother's portrait with curiosity. 'Do you think if we goad her enough she'll self-destruct?'

'Mummy RARRRRRR!' yelled the toddler Sirius happily, shaking his little fists.

'Is Dumbledore here yet?'

'He's waiting in the kitchen.'

'Daddy says Dumbledore's a muggle-loving fool,' piped up little Andromeda matter of factly, 'he says he can't understand how someone so intelligent and powerful could be so stupid and have no Proper Wizarding Pride.'

'Your daddy's wrong about a lot of things, Toots.'

As the party made their way down the stairs to the kitchen, Narcissa lagged behind. She stared up at her aunt's portrait; the portrait stopped screaming and did a double-take.

'Good evening, Auntie.'

Narcissa dropped into an elegant curtsey, and threw her aunt her most polished, gap-toothed smile.

As Narcissa entered the kitchen, her eyes scanned the room. She noticed an old man whom she hadn't seen before, resplendent in velvet robes, sitting at the kitchen table. He looked very old and very wise and Narcissa could not help but feel impressed by him. Andromeda was deep in conversation with the strange cat lady. They seemed to know each other quite well. Narcissa wandered over to them but quickly realised that they were talking about something very boring in the latest issue of "Transfiguration Today". Andromeda had Regulus in her arms, and the baby was snuggling into her chest, she was smiling down at him and stroking his hair (or at least, what little he had of it). Regulus did seem to like Andromeda best, and she was very protective of him, just like Sirius liked Bellatrix best as she tended to encourage his high jinks (to a point at least); Narcissa wondered hopefully if her aunt might have another baby who would favour her.

There were so many people in the room, and so much going on that few people were paying any notice to what little Sirius was doing. It was only when Molly reached down for her wand and found it gone that she realised that little Sirius had commandeered it and was running around the room duelling people's ankles by shouting out approximations of incantations that he could not yet quite pronounce, like "toopippie" and "eckspeppee-armid". Every now and again a few feeble sparks were bursting out and little Sirius would squeal with the thrill of his achievement. From the expressions on Fred and George's faces, Molly suspected that they had put little Sirius up to it. When Molly attempted to retrieve the wand from the toddler, little Sirius ran under the table, bouncing up and down with cheeky delight. He then bounced the wand on the ground, and it exploded with a flash of purple, throwing him backwards and causing him to drop the wand, momentarily in shock. Molly made a grab for it, but she had hesitated for a second; just long enough for little Sirius to regain his senses and pick the wand up again. He clasped it in his little fist and hid it behind his back, giggling away. Fortunately for Molly, the blast had positioned little Sirius right at the feet of Albus Dumbledore, who, though viewing the scene with a twinkle in his eye, eased the wand from behind Sirius's back and passed it back to Molly. Little Sirius, on realising he had been disarmed, started to howl. Bellatrix slid under the table and put her arm round him, glaring at Molly.

Molly breathed a sigh of relief.

'That could have been a disaster.'

Little Andromeda raised a contemptuous eyebrow, and Ted, cringing, realised that the uninitiated were about to learn precisely how little Andromeda was capable of acting in public.

'Yes,' she said, 'it could. Sirius could have been _hurt. You_ need to take better care of your wand.'

'My dear, I think you'll find _he_ stole my wand.'

'No he didn't. I saw your wand on the table top earlier, beside _your_ sons. They must have given it to him. You need to have better control of your children.'

'These things happen sometimes.'

'Well he's never managed to get hold of _my_ mother's wand.'

Andromeda's instinct told her that children ought to be disciplined for rudeness, but she was enjoying the scene, and was looking on with a smirk on her face; however, she seemed to decide that appeasement was the best option in this case.

'Anna, you don't speak to adults like that.'

'But she was rude to me yesterday!'

'She was rude to _me_. It's not your argument.'

'But...'

'Pick your battles, Anna. Now apologise.'

Little Andromeda grudgingly apologised, but Molly couldn't help feeling that Andromeda had got one up on her anyway.

Once Bellatrix had calmed Sirius down, she emerged from under the table and found Narcissa standing watching Sirius. Sirius was speaking with the shabby-looking man. He had his head on the table and looked like he wanted to cry. He was muttering something about how he should have known that Andromeda would find a way to get her own back, but the shabby-looking man wasn't trying to comfort him, he looked quite amused actually. Adults could be so unpredictable at times. Bellatrix wandered over to speak to Ted, but Narcissa, who didn't like seeing her cousin upset, slipped under the table and emerged in front of Sirius's chair, tilting her head and staring up at him.

'Hello.'

Sirius laughed.

'Hello Rosie-Posy.'

'What's wrong?'

'Me, that's what's wrong; I had no idea I was so much hard work.'

Narcissa giggled and clambered up onto Sirius's lap. She stood up, her little leather boots digging into his knees, and whispered in his ear. 'I don't mind that you're hard work, I love you anyway.'

Sirius grinned and started tickling her, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He had just spotted Bellatrix, who was standing in the corner, stiff and shaking, her face as white as a ghost.

 ****A/N Just in case anyone is wondering, when Sirius calls Narcissa "Rosie-Posy", I am alluding to the fact that I always assumed that Narcissa got her looks from her mother - Druella Rosier.****


	12. Chapter 12

As Bellatrix made her way across the room towards Ted, she thought she heard her name mentioned. She paused and listened carefully, and sure enough, the woman Molly was standing over the stove, discussing the time travellers with Kingsley in a low voice. She slipped behind the curtains and tuned in.

'I'll just be a lot happier once this is over and done with. Bellatrix Lestrange in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix!'

'It's strange, I know, but they'll all be gone soon. Merlin, it'll be a relief for Sirius to be back to his own time; I thought the adult version was hard work enough!'

'Kingsley, you don't need to pretend. Sirius being here is not the same as Bellatrix! I look at her and all I can see is what that woman has done. What she did to Frank and Alice! She is evil, Kingsley, evil to the core.'

'That child, Molly, isn't evil. She's a misguided little girl who's been badly let down by her parents. I've never seen a child so full of anxiety; you can almost see the weight and pressure of family expectation on her shoulders.'

'I can't believe you're making excuses for her!'

'I'm not, Molly. I don't condone anything that woman's done. She sided with Voldemort and has committed acts of _unspeakable_ evil. I've visited Frank and Alice in St Mungo's; I've seen what became of them. The woman sitting in a cell in Azkaban right now deserves every punishment the Ministry can throw at her. But that child here with us now, right now, she knows nothing of any of it. It's hard to get one's head around, but she hasn't done anything yet. I see her in front of me and wish I could change her fate.'

'Well, I'm clearly not as understanding as you, Kingsley, because as far as I'm concerned, the quicker she is back in her own time, and the only Bellatrix we have to consider is the one safely locked up in Azkaban for life, the better!'

Azkaban. Andromeda had told her that Sirius had been imprisoned unjustly. Andromeda had told her that she, Bellatrix, was fighting on the opposite side of a war. But she hadn't explained that the reason Bellatrix wasn't able to go and speak to her older self was because she was currently rotting away in a jail cell. Forever. Never to see her sisters again. Never to see the world again, and having committed crimes so heinous that Kingsley wouldn't even say out loud what she done. She crept out from behind the curtain and found she could barely breathe. She felt sick, and cold and faint and devastated by the revelation that Kingsley and Molly had unwittingly burdened her with. And it was at that moment that Sirius looked up, and simultaneously, Dumbledore clapped his hands for attention.

'Are the children all here?'

Dumbledore announced that he had found a way to reverse the effects of the time-turner; the children would return to the precise moment they had left. He had prepared a sleeping potion, which the children would take before being sent back. He claimed that their journey would be more comfortable this way. Little Sirius was handed a bottle containing the potion, which he drank without question, assuming it to be milk. Narcissa, trusting the adults around her, drank hers too. When it came to little Andromeda's turn, however, she looked Dumbledore directly in the eyes.

'You're going to obliviate us, aren't you? That's why you're giving us the sleeping potion: so that we don't remember anything at all. If you just obliviated us, we'd still remember being sent back.'

'I'm afraid I must, my child.'

'But _why?_ '

Andromeda walked towards her younger self and knelt down in front of her.

'What did I tell you, Anna-ban?'

Little Andromeda sighed.

'That I don't want to find out the whole plot of the story before I finish the book.'

'Exactly. And you've seen us here. I have a lovely husband, and a lovely daughter. I'm happy and healthy. You have nothing to fear, and all sorts of things to look forward to. Wouldn't it spoil things, if you knew everything that was going to happen before it did?'

Little Andromeda nodded, gave Andromeda a brief hug, took a goblet of potion, and sipped it delicately. Regulus, who was sleeping of his own accord, was placed in little Andromeda's arms. And so it was only Bellatrix who remained. She looked at Andromeda, and Sirius, terror apparent in her face, her eyes big and pleading.

'Don't obliviate me, please, please, Anna, don't let him obliviate me. You said I could change things, but I can't change anything if I'm obliviated. I won't remember what I need to change.' She turned to Dumbledore. 'Mr Dumbledore, please, I'm begging you. I don't want to fight my sister; I don't want to hurt anyone.'

Dumbledore looked down at Bellatrix. 'My child, we must.'

'Then don't send me back. Let me stay here.'

'My child, that's not possible. You know it's not. This isn't your time. Think of the hurt your parents will feel if their children just vanish.'

'Dumbledore,' interrupted Snape, 'we need to hurry up. That sleeping draught won't last forever.'

Bellatrix started to cry, and Andromeda stepped forward. She brushed Bellatrix's hair off her face, put her hands on her sister's shoulders and looked at her gravely, struggling to hold the tears back herself. She took a deep breath.

'You don't need to remember any of what you saw, Bella, or anything that we discussed. All you need to remember is to stop trying to please other people; to always respect yourself; and to never, ever judge your worth based on your value to other people. Do you understand?'

Bellatrix found her sister's advice a little cryptic, but she was starting to form a plan in her head. She knew it held little chance of success, but it gave her hope, however faint. She took a deep, shuddering breath, gave her sister a tight hug, and then took the goblet from Dumbledore. She closed her eyes, and secretly, inside her head thought of the two words that were key in all this, the two words she had to remember, the two things she had to be careful to avoid: Lestrange and Voldemort. Out loud, she whispered, over and over, 'I love my sisters. I love my sisters. I love my sisters,' before sipping the potion delicately, closing her eyes, and falling to the floor.

It was Sirius who spoke up.

'Do we have to do this? I don't want to lose them again.'

Andromeda walked over and squeezed his hand. She moved her lips to say something comforting, but found herself unable. She walked out of the room, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Dumbledore raised his wand, waved it over the sleeping children, and whispered, _'obliviate,_ ' then he set the time-turner and placed it on the stair beside the children. With a glint of gold and glass, they were gone, though Sirius could have sworn he saw, before the children disappeared, Bellatrix's arms move over her head, and a flash of silver, the colour of a shield.


	13. Chapter 13

Andromeda sat out in the hall, feeling utterly wretched. She had had her sister there, right in front of her, an innocent child, full of potential, and she had been powerless to help her. Andromeda had always felt that she had done everything she could to set Bellatrix down the right path, but now, that certainty in her mind was in question. Andromeda felt guilt. In sending her sister back, she felt responsible for, well, everything that had come to be, and that was not an easy thing to feel at all.

At that moment, the door opened and Andromeda saw, standing in front of her, a teenage girl she did not recognise, and who she swore had not been in the house a minute before. The girl was not Hermione Granger and she _definitely_ wasn't Ginevra Weasley. She was tall, with thick black hair that rippled down her back in glossy waves, startling pale blue eyes, and razor sharp cheekbones. She looked like Bellatrix, apart from a few tiny freckles across the bridge of her nose, and a mischievous, joyful twist to her mouth that reminded Andromeda of Dora more than anyone else. Suddenly, the girl spoke.

'Why are you moping out here Auntie Anna? It's New Year's Day; you're supposed to be celebrating all the new and infinite potential of things yet to come.'

 _Auntie? Why was this girl calling her Auntie?_ And yet, seemingly involuntarily, Andromeda found herself answering with familiarity this girl she didn't know.

'We're in the middle of a war, Chara, it's hardly a reason to celebrate.'

 _Chara? Chara? Where had she got that name from? She didn't know this girl._

'Don't be such an old cynic. Voldemort hasn't won yet, and this could be the year we defeat him. I see plenty to celebrate in that. As I said: infinite potential. Now stand up, come out of the hall, and join us.'

Andromeda stood up and, without thinking of what she was doing, hugged the girl.

'Forgive me. We could all do with more of your attitude. Don't ever lose that hope.'

They walked together into the kitchen, and Andromeda found herself struggling to remember why she had left the room in the first place. The memories were there, but they were becoming more dream-like by the second. And then she saw Bellatrix.

There was a group of them: aurors, conspicuous in their scarlet robes and engrossed in a game of cards. Dora, Bellatrix, and a young woman of a similar age to Dora with sandy blonde hair falling out of its loose pleat. And Frank and Alice Longbottom. Bellatrix was hunched over her hand, staring at Frank with challenge in her eyes. Of course, Bellatrix _would_ challenge a group of Hufflepuffs to a game of poker. She always could read their tells. Andromeda remembered how her sister had enjoyed challenging Ted to poker in the prefect's common room whilst they were at school, just so she could trounce him. And yet, Bellatrix had never challenged Ted to a game of poker. Where was Andromeda getting these memories from?

The sandy haired girl had no cards of her own, but was looking at Bellatrix's hand and whispering in her ear. Bellatrix grinned at her daughter, because suddenly, Andromeda realised that she knew who the girl was, and yet, none of it made sense. Frank and Alice were senseless in St Mungo's, Bellatrix was rotting away in Azkaban. How on earth could they be dressed as aurors, playing cards together in Grimmauld Place?

'Auntie,' said Chara, 'are you all right? You look like you don't know how you got here!'

'I'm not sure I do know, Chara.'

'Bella Fawley, Alcyone, I do believe you have beaten me again,' announced Frank, throwing his hand in to the centre of the table. Alcyone burst out laughing.

'Merlin, Frank, you really need to learn how to play against my mother.'

'What do you mean?'

Bellatrix placed her cards on the table. She had nothing.

'Every bloody time,' sighed Frank.

Chara looked at Andromeda oddly, and walked over to Ted, entreating on her uncle to go and find out what on earth was wrong with his wife.

Bellatrix was beckoning Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville over to the table.

'Fancy a game?'

'Don't take the bait, Neville,' said Frank, 'that woman's a demon.'

'Don't be a spoil sport , don't deny me a fresh little 'puff. It's not like we're playing for gold.'

'What are you playing for?' asked Hermione, keen to know what she was letting herself in for before she committed.

'Just bragging rights,' answered Alcyone. 'Or a bar of honeyduke's finest when we're playing Remus.'

'I've stopped competing against those two,' interjected Remus good humouredly, 'my chocolate's too precious.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione had to admit that they had never played poker, and did not, in fact, know the rules. However, they sat down to speak to the aurors, Harry in particular being keen to find out all he could about the career path they had chosen. Andromeda listened in.

'What made you join the aurors, Mrs Fawley?'

'Well, it was either that or join the Death-Eaters.'

Harry's jaw dropped, and Sirius sniggered.

'Ignore her, Harry, she just has a warped sense of humour.'

'All right, not quite, but I'm not being entirely facetious. You see, when I was a little girl, I had a dream, a very strange dream, that, as the years have gone by has proved increasingly prophetic.'

'What do you mean?'

'I can't tell you the whole story. It would sound ridiculous. But you know the sort of family Sirius and I belonged to; and suffice to say that I felt I had a choice; follow the path that was expected of me, marry the man my parents wanted me to, and inevitably, find myself drawn into Voldemort's cult, or listen to my little sister and channel my talents more appropriately. I don't think the former option would have resulted in a good outcome for anyone.'

'I don't understand.'

'I'm no Hufflepuff, Harry, I don't have a pure soul. And I don't have Sirius's rebellious streak. I wanted to please my family. It would have been very easy for me to join the Death Eaters. The man I was expected to marry is now in Azkaban for the crimes he committed under Voldemort. It frightens me a little, the woman I could have become. But I fought against it.'

'How did you fight it?'

'The first step was refusing to marry Rudolphus Lestrange. And then accepting Anna's relationship with Ted. I realised from spending time with the two of them that muggles and muggle borns weren't the savages I'd been brought up to believe they were. I liked Ted. And that was something of a revelation.'

'Is that why you joined the aurors? To protect muggles and muggle borns?

Bellatrix laughed.

'Well, I can't claim my choice of career was made for entirely ideological reasons. I just wanted to explore magic further, push the limits a bit, and the aurors gave me that opportunity. I would have been bored rigid with a desk job.'

'And is that how you joined the Order, through the aurors?

'You ask a lot of questions. No. I knew of the Order through Mad-Eye, but I didn't really want to get involved at first. I felt I was doing enough in my line of work, and I didn't want to put Alcyone at risk by drawing attention to myself further. But then towards the end of the war, though I didn't know that at the time of course, the Death-Eaters made it personal.'

'How?'

'They murdered my husband, and they very nearly killed Al too.'

Hermione looked horrified. She had looked upon Bellatrix as a proud and rather cold woman, but she was seeing her with fresh eyes, and could sense the emotion building up underneath Bellatrix's words.

'I'm so sorry Mrs Fawley.'

'I was pregnant at the time. Chara never met her father. Gawain never even knew about her. I had only just found out myself; I was going to tell him that night, but instead of opening the door to my husband, I opened the door to Mad-Eye bringing me the news of his death. And _then_ I joined the Order; I swore I would do everything I could to hunt the Death-Eaters down. I loved Gawain, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. One day, I will make Voldemort pay.'

Andromeda wondered what the dream was that Bellatrix had had as a little girl. It wasn't like Bellatrix to mention that sort of thing. She had always looked on Divination and the like with scorn. As Andromeda listened to Bellatrix's tale, she remembered that awful time in the September of 1978, when Bellatrix and the four year old Alcyone had heard the news of Gawain's death. Dora, a year older than her cousin, had been devastated at the death of the uncle she adored. The memories were so vivid, as if it had just happened yesterday. And yet, the memories of today were fading fast. For one, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't for the life of her remember why, not an hour ago, she had been crying out in the hall.

 **A/N In case anyone is wondering, I made Neville a Hufflepuff because I think in the books he ended up in Gryffindor because the Sorting Hat felt he was choosing Hufflepuff for the wrong reasons, and the Sorting Hat wanted to prove to him that he was brave and capable. But I think his personality was more of a Hufflepuff, and if he had grown up with Frank and Alice, he would have been free to choose Hufflepuff for the right reasons, without the baggage of insecurity that he carried.**

 **Chara is a star in the constellation of Canes Venatici. The name means "joy". I like the idea that Bellatrix saw her as something joyful that came following a tragedy.**


	14. Chapter 14

As Bellatrix took the goblet of potion from Dumbledore, she was very careful to ensure that she looked him straight in the eyes. It was very important, at that moment, that he trusted her. She held his gaze for a moment, though it was startling just how difficult that was for her to do; it was as if he knew she up to something. Then she closed her eyes, raised the goblet to her mouth, and with her lips firmly closed, tipped the cup up slightly, just enough to make it look as though she was drinking. Once she was satisfied that she had pretended for long enough to convince the adults in the room of her sincerity, she dropped, fully conscious, to the floor. As she landed, she struck her knee hard on the stone slab, and it took all of her willpower not to cry out in pain. She was well aware that Dumbledore would most certainly cast his spell non-verbally, and she was worried about how her already precarious plan would work if she did not know what her cue was, but to Bellatrix's immense surprise and relief, he did not. Instead, she heard a whisper of the word 'obliviate'. As soon as the first syllable came out of Dumbledore's mouth, Bellatrix quickly covered her head with her arms and concentrated with all her might on everything she knew about shield charms. She felt a force emanating from herself and was aware of a bright flash of silver, before the world started spinning and she passed out.

 _31_ _st_ _December 1961_

Alphard Black had decided to have his dinner in the kitchens with his nieces and nephews. It was traditional in the Black household at New Year to wait until the first stroke of midnight to tuck into a feast, and he knew from experience that Walburga stuck rigidly to this custom; there would not be so much as a miniature pumpkin pasty before the bells. However, as it was currently only five o'clock, and he was already starving, he needed to find some way of tiding himself over for the next seven hours. So long as Kreacher took care of supervising Sirius, Alphard was happy to dine with the girls. He was fond of them, and considered it his civic duty to gently introduce them to ideas beyond those their parents were teaching them, although he had to admit that he more often regaled the children with tales of derring-do than he actually got round to explaining that muggles were not always complete barbarians.

Alphard opened the door to the kitchen stairs, and immediately noticed that the children hadn't made it to the kitchen. He had expected them by now to be sitting at the table, tucking into a hot meal, with Kreacher fussing all over them. Instead, all five were lying, fast asleep, on the stairs. Even Sirius. This came as a surprise to Alphard, as he had not been entirely convinced that the toddler was even capable of sleep; he certainly had not ever witnessed such an event. As he descended the stairs, he noticed Bellatrix stirring. She looked up, bleary-eyed, but on noticing her uncle, she seemed to suddenly be filled with energy. Alphard saw her jump up and run to him. She flung her arms round him and sobbed into his fat stomach.

'Am I bad, Uncle Alphard?'

Alphard usually communicated with his nieces and nephews by teasing them, but he got the impression that this would not go down well at this particular moment in time. He had never seen Bellatrix so distraught. She was usually such a proud little thing, and had been taught from birth by her strict father that any display of uncontrolled emotion was a show of weakness.

'Certainly not! You can stand up for yourself and your sisters, and you've certainly got a temper on you, but bad? Not a bit of it! Now what's brought this on?'

'I….'

Bellatrix was about to tell him the whole story, but she hesitated. She had been lying on the floor, sound asleep, when her uncle had opened the door. Had she dreamt it all? She was not sure, not sure at all anymore. It felt real, she could remember the particular smell of the woman Molly's cooking, she could feel the pressure of the man Kingsley's wand against her throat, she could recall the taste of the rich hot chocolate that her grown-up sister had made her. If it had been a dream, it had been a dream like none she had had before, but equally, how could it have been real? No one could travel forwards through time, and certainly not decades into the future. She was so confused! Bellatrix suspected that if she told her uncle, he would listen with apparent sincerity, and then spend the next ten years teasing her mercilessly about it at every opportunity. No, she had to keep this one to herself. She wiped her eyes.

'Sorry, Uncle Alphard, I was just being silly.'

'It doesn't look like something silly to me.'

'I just had a nightmare.'

'A nightmare?'

'About the lethifold. That there was a lethifold in the house.'

Alphard gulped; he had to take the blame for this one. He sometimes went a bit far with his tales of adventure. He had forgotten how young Bellatrix was when, the week before, he had told her an, admittedly slightly exaggerated, tale of his friend having a near death experience with the creature in Guatemala.

'Well, I think a nightmare like that would frighten the best of us. And that was probably my fault; I probably shouldn't have told you that story last week. Let me reassure you, there are no lethifolds in Britain, none at all. Never have been, never will be. Even that Scamander bloke has more sense than to bring one of those into the country. Can you forgive me?'

Bellatrix nodded.

'Good. Now let's wake the others up and get some dinner before I die of starvation.'

Andromeda was waking up of her own accord. She stood up carefully, as she was still holding Regulus in her arms. Alphard took the baby from her, and with the weight of the child taken from her arms, Andromeda became aware of how light her apron was; there was nothing in the pocket weighing it down. She looked panicked as her hands moved fruitlessly through the empty space.

'Where's my book?'

'Your book?'

'The one you bought me, Uncle Alphard: _Magical Curios._ I had it. It was in my pocket, just a moment ago. I definitely had it!'

'It'll have fallen out on the stairs. You'll find it in a minute.'

'But I can't see it anywhere! Can you?'

Bellatrix thought back to her dream. Andromeda had taken the book out of her pocket to show it to the shabby man. She had left the book on the kitchen table after becoming distracted by the cat lady. It was odd, Bellatrix thought, how her dream was tying in so neatly with Andromeda's loss. And then, from upstairs, came a shout. It was the Minister for Magic's voice.

'It's gone! It was in my pocket! Walburga, you have a thief in your house! I've been robbed!'


	15. Chapter 15

Bellatrix lay in bed that night ruminating on the day's events. There had been uproar after the Minister's pronouncement, although the search for his missing artefact had been hampered by his complete unwillingness to admit to exactly what it was that he had lost. He had blustered and blundered, cast a locating spell, searched the party guests, all to no avail. Eventually, even the children had been called up from the kitchen and questioned, one by one. Had they taken a golden necklace?

Sirius had pretended to be a tracker dog and had started sniffing the guests. (He had been hastily removed from the room).

Narcissa had informed the Minister that she had her own gold necklace that her mummy had given her, thank you very much, and didn't need to steal someone else's, she wasn't a beggar.

Andromeda had earnestly informed the Minister that her book had also gone missing, and if he caught the thief, could he please let her know, because she really would like her book back.

Bellatrix had looked at the Minister coldly, and pointed out that if he had already cast a locating spell with no success, it was highly unlikely that his "necklace" was in the house at all, unless he thought that wandless children were capable of concealment charms so powerful that they could subvert the skills of the Minster for Magic.

In the end, the Minister had had to accept that he had probably lost the necklace before he had ever arrived at Grimmauld Place, and he had been forced to apologise, albeit grudgingly, to Walburga and Orion. Orion's voice when he accepted the apology had, Bellatrix noticed, been tinged with danger, and Bellatrix suspected that Ignatius Tuft would not be Minister for very much longer.

The children had been sent to bed after being questioned, but Bellatrix and Andromeda, unconvinced that the drama was entirely over, had sneaked out of their rooms and watched the party from the top of the stairs. No one but Alphard had noticed the two tiny, ghostly figures in their white nightgowns peering through the banisters, and Alphard had just smiled indulgently and told Kreacher to bring them up some cauldron cakes and pumpkin juice, which the girls ate gratefully and conspiratorially; greatly enjoying their unexpected night-time feast. They learnt little, however, other than witnessing a palpable tension in the air, and had eventually, after waiting for the great gongs on the wireless that rang in the New Year, retreated back to Bellatrix's room, where they had fallen asleep together.

As she lay in bed, however, Bellatrix could not help but think of the strange coincidences that tied together her dream and the night's events. Sirius had stolen a necklace, and a necklace, that Bellatrix should have had no knowledge of, had disappeared. Andromeda had left one of her most prized possessions in another time, and that possession had disappeared. Could they have time travelled? Was it possible? Or had it been a prophecy? A warning for the future? She shook her sister.

"Anna."

No response.

" _Anna."_

"What?"

"Do you remember falling asleep?"

The response was made sleepily, with more than a hint of grumpy-why-are-waking-me-up-to-ask-me-stupid-questions in Andromeda's tone.

"No one ever remembers falling asleep. It just _happens_."

"No, not just there. I mean on the stairs today. I don't remember even feeling tired."

Andromeda sat up at this remark.

"No, actually, I don't. I remember you opening the door to the stairs, but nothing after that."

She looked horrified.

"Do you think someone cursed us?"

"No. I expect we were just more tired than we realised."

It was all coming together. The children had been obliviated in her dream, and Andromeda was experiencing blackouts. She looked round at her sister, but Andromeda had fallen back to sleep. So Bellatrix crept out of bed and along the corridor to the room her parents were sleeping in. She opened the door as quietly as she could, but it was an old house, and the door creaked treacherously. Her mother looked up.

"Maman?"

"Viens-ici, ma fille."

Bellatrix hurried over to her mother, all attempt at secrecy and decorum forgotten, and climbed under the covers.

"I hope you haven't been worrying about the Minister, Bellatrix," came her father's voice.

"A bit."

"He will be dealt with. I'm not having some jumped up little politician coming onto Black land and threatening my family. But you know, Bellatrix, you're getting too old to be coming into our room at night."

"Tais-toi, Cygnus," came Druella's voice. "Elle ne sera pas une enfant beaucoup plus longtemps. Laissez-moi en profiter pendant que ça dure. "

Bellatrix smiled with satisfaction at her mother's response, and fell asleep.

 **A/N A lot of the pure-blood families in the Harry Potter series have French names, so I have pinned Druella as French, hence the slightly random language change at the end! It should read as "Shut up Cygnus. She won't be a child for much longer. Let me enjoy it while it lasts." If I have mangled the translation, please let me know and I will amend it!**


End file.
